Carolyn is a mother of two who spent her Wednesday nights at bible study and weekends in the church pews. By all accounts she had a normal home life until one day when everything changed.

After a seemingly normal disagreement with her then 14 year old daughter, Carolyn walked into every parents nightmare - a room typically filled with music, the sound of a television and teenage banter was now an empty bedroom. Her daughter was gone and in contact with an older man she had been introduced to through a friend. This approach traffickers use is known as the “Romeo effect” - where they pose as a boyfriend, but they have much darker intentions. Make no mistake, there is nothing romantic about it.

The child was found several states away and returned to her family, but things were not as they were before she left. Recovery is not the end, but the beginning of a healing journey that will include the whole family. At the time this occurred, Carolyn found herself without any access to counseling that specialized in this type of trauma, no support groups & no handbook on how to exist in this new world she found herself in. It was sitting in this despair that God met her right where she was & in that moment she knew that He was El-Roi. “The God who sees me.”

It was in the midst of this cataclysmic life event that Carolyn decided she never wanted another family to experience the isolation that fell upon her family.

Here, in this moment, is where the idea for Life Restored SA was born. LRSA is the second non-profit Carolyn has started that helps families recover from the horrors of trafficking. We are so thankful for her endless commitment & dedication to supporting survivors & their families.

Carolyn is a proud mother, grandmother & published author of War Dancer - a 30 Day Devotional for Girls Suffering from Abuse. War Dancer was inspired by the stories of the young women we serve & continues to be a beacon of light and source of joy for so many.